Process for matrix forming and bearer for the same



y 2, 1939- c. E BOUTWELL 2,156,836

PROCESS FOR MATRIX FORMING AND BEARER FOR THE SAME Filed Oct. 26, 1936 I I Z Z (/1 L Aaoxxo'xxxoxxxoxx J J]: xxaxxxxxxxA I 0000 00000 La 5// xxxxzvxx Z! Y Y 4 22 M /7 INVENTOR Z. L. ,Boufwell.

, k W 2? l v ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFl CE PROCESS FOR MATRIX FORMING AND BEARER FOR THE SAME Clarence E. Boutwell, Birmingham, Ala.

Application October 26, 1936, Serial'No. 107,606

3 Claims.

My invention relates to bearers such as are employed around a type setup in making matrices for printing plates; also to a matrix made therefrom. As is. well known, in the making of matrices, type or other design to be reproduced is placed in a chase- Around the type and inside the chase are placed metal bearers, which latter are locked in place in the'chase and against thetype. by suitable locking devices. Heretofore, these bearers have consisted simply of flat surfaced metal bars. having a height equal to the type face. Their purpose is to. relieve the strain on. the type and prevent displacement thereof when the matrix material is pressed into the printing setup The matrix may consist of any suitable material which is deformable under pressure and capable of receiving. and retaining an impression, such as soft metal, wax, resins, and

other plastic materials.

Heretofore, in. the making of matrices, employing bearers as above. described, when pressure was applied to the matrix material, there was a natural lateral flow of the material toward the edges of the printing setup, caused by the dis"- placement of the matrix material by the design to be produced, which flow was blocked by the pressure of the platen of the press bearing against the matrix material on the bearer. This blocked flow resulted in a concentration of pressure on the type adjacent the bearer, often causing the type adjacent the bearer to be broken off, and also causing faulty impressions to be made in the matrix material by the type adjacent the bearer. To relieve this difficulty in a measure, it

' has been the custom to interpose a border between the type and the bearer which served to minimize somewhat the concentration of pressure on the outer type faces. Another difficulty with bearers as heretofore employed has been that the outer edges of the matrix so formed has been of a height the same as the face of the type in the printing setup, so that after the matrix was formed, it has been necessary to machine down, or rout, the border around the printing setup. otherwise a plate formed from the matrix would receive ink from the inking rollers of the printing press, thus spoiling the reproduction from the plate.

I have discovered that the difficulties heretofore encountered may be entirely eliminated by affording a free lateral flow to the matrix material. In other words, I have found that the breaking of type around the bearer is not due but to the concentration of pressure in the area of the outer type members. By permitting a free lateral flow of the material under pressure, there is no greater concentration of pressure on the outer type members than the others, and as a result I obtain clear impressions without damage to the type.

It is accordingly a principal object of my invention to provide a bearer for .matrix making which. shall afford a free flow of the matrix material around the outer edges of the type setup; a further object is to provide a bearer of such configuration that a matrix is formed having sides sloping away from the type face, whereby a plate made from such a matrix shall have its sides around the printing setup sloping downwardly from the type faces when viewed with the type faces. uppermost. and thus require no machiningv or routing to finishthem.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Fig, 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a printing setup surrounded by my improved bearers;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of Fig. 1, and showing a matrix pressed into the type setup; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the matrix and a plate formed therein, the latter removed from the matrix.

Referring to the drawing, my improved bearer is made up of a number of corner pieces In and side pieces I I which may be fitted together as shown, and as is well understood, to conform. to the shape and size of the type setup l2. The bearer pieces are all of equal height so as to adapt them to be placed end to and around a printing setup and form a continuous bearer therefor. Each bearer piece has a flat upper surface I3 the same height as the type faces I 4, but spaced therefrom a distance of about a half an inch. Adjacent the type, the inner wall l5 of the bearer piece is of a height equal to the shoulder 16 of the type or printing setup. A groove I1 is formed in each bearer piece, which is preferably made by sloping the upper surface [8 downwardly away from the top of the wall I4 for substantially the full width of the groove and forming a ver-- tical wall E9 from the bottom of the groove to join the upper flat surface I 3. The area described by the groove I! thus accommodates the matrix material displaced by the type or reproductions on the printing setup, when forming a matrix.

When a matrix 2| of any suitable matrix forming material is pressed downwardly on to the printing setup, as shown in Fig. 2, the platen of the press (not shown) bearing downwardly on the matrix material, the vertical wall I9 impedes its flow past the groove l1, while the displaced matrix material flows freely into the groove ll. As before pointed out, I have found that by thus providing for the free flow of the matrix material with means to stop an excess flow, the strain on the outer type members is greatly reduced and the matrix is formed with perfect reproduction without breaking off the outer type faces. It will also be noted from Fig. 2 that the sides 22 of the matrix 2| slope downwardly from the type faces, as viewed in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 the matrix 2| is shown in inverted position with a plate 23 withdrawn therefrom. The plate 23 has sloping sides 24 conforming to the surfaces 22 of the matrix, which are of a height lower than the printing surfaces 26 formed on the plate. It will be obvious from a consideration of Fig. 3 that such a plate requires no machining or routing before mounting in a printing setup. The only preparation required for the plate 23 is a trimming of the edges, as shown at 21.

The downwardly and inwardly sloping surfaces 22 of the finished matrix have another important function, in that, in making a plate from such a matrix, and employing plastic material, the sloping sides cause the plastic material to flow toward and into the depressions 30, made by the printing setup. The form of the matrix 2| thus lends itself to the easier production of plastic plates therefrom, as well as having the other advantages heretofore mentioned.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved bearer for making matrices which is simple of construction and which cooperates in forming a matrix having particular advantages in forming printing plates from plastic materials.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without deous bearer therefor, each of said bearer pieces having a vertical inner wall adapted to bear against the side of the printing setup and being shoulder high to the printing surface thereof, an upper surface sloping downwardly from the vertical inner wall and intersected by a vertical side Wall to form a groove having a capacity sufficient to accommodate laterally displaced matrix material, and a fiat outer, upper surface equal in height to the printing surface to impede further flow of matrix material.

2. A bearer for printing setups in making matrices in a press from plastic material and involving the use of pressures suflicient to break off type faces, comprising a bearer member shoulder high with respect to the setup and sloping downwardly therefrom to form a groove to accommodate the lateral flow of matrix material, and an outer portion type high with respect to the set up to form a stop for the platen of the press and to impede excess flow of material.

3. The method of making matrices for printing plates from soft metals, resins and the like involving pressures such as to endanger type characters, which comprises providing for free lateral flow of matrix material around the setup suflicient to accommodate the laterally displaced matrix material when pressed into the setup, and impeding the lateral flow beyond said point to provide for accurate reproduction of the type characters in the setup, especially around the edges thereof.

CLARENCE E. BOUTWELL. 

